Prior to dyeing varying lengths of a textile product on a continuous dye range it is necessary to test the dye bath to determine whether the fabric will be dyed with the desired color or shade from that dye bath. The generally accepted procedure for making such a determination on a continuous dye range is to run through the dye range a relatively short length of the textile material to be dyed usually a 10 to 20 yards length, referred to as a strike or strike patch. Following the running of that strike patch, the dye range is stopped and a sample of the dyed fabric is cut out and then taken to a laboratory for a color or shade test. The results will allow the dye to determine whether the dye formulation is correct or whether additional adjustments in the dye formulation will be necessary to produce the correct fabric color.
One type of dye range is a thermosol dye range and the process for taking a strike and processing it can take approximately 35 minutes. For other ranges the test time can vary. Further, if the dye formulation is altered, this "strike" process may need to be repeated as many times as is necessary to determine that the changed dye formulation will yield the proper shade. Typically, it is not uncommon to take 2 or 3 strikes in order to determine that proper shade. Because the speed of a continuous dye range is about 100 yards per minute, short lots of 5000 to 10,000 yards or less cannot be efficiently run given the strike time involved in dyeing any fabric on a continuous range.
Norris et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,896 relates to a method for producing multicolor printed web material. As a preliminary to the printing operation on a production length, Norris et al use a reusable lead web segment, in the form of a lead carpet, which is non-receptive to the dyes being employed in the printing system. This reusable lead segment is attached to the front end of the production material so that the printing operation can be first made on this lead portion, allowing the operation to be checked and any print misalignments adjusted by observing the print strike applied to that lead web segment. The lead web segment, being non-receptive to the dyes, will be cleaned during the dye-washing step to which the entire material will be subjected, with the cleaned lead web segment then being disconnected from the production piece and thus be available for another print start-up operation.
Fleissner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,230 discloses apparatus for continuously treating, especially dyeing and printing, of piece goods.
We are also aware of two applications where attempts have been made to accomplish a quick change between different events. One of these involved use of multiple finishing boxes in a water proofing operation or a permanent press line where two emersion pads were alternatively used. This did not involve a dye operation nor the accomplishing of multiple strikes. The other dealt with a Kuster Equipment Company developed of a quick change dye pan. A single dye pan was mounted so as to be pivotable within a fixed frame to allow its contents to be dumped when pivoted. Following pivoting, but with the pan still pivoted the pan would be cleaned by a clean out procedure using suitable spray apparatus for purposes of cleaning remaining dye stuff from the pan. Upon repivoting to its normal position the pan could be refilled with a new dye lot formulation. Accordingly, one entire dye lot and dyeing run would have to be finished before starting to dye using another lot as the first dye lot would have to be completely emptied and cleaned from the dye pan.